iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Faine Greenwood @faineg.com · 29/06/2025

damnit I hate to share a LinkedIn post but Mark nailed it

Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them) @nmelzack.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

Everything is just on fire isn't it? Like, everything. And I'm here trying not to dissociate which feels like the smallest non important thing right now given everything in the world.

060

Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them) @nmelzack.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

I hate the rhetoric around welfare. But what I don't understand at all is that there is so much about the winter fuel allowance for pensioners but then not the same compassion for those on PIP or other health related benefits. BOTH OF THESE THINGS ARE WELFARE A STATE PENSION IS AN ASPECT OF WELFARE.

141

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Whatever your personal beliefs on Assisted Dying, we should all be able to agree on 2 fundamentals: No means no. If a patient doesn’t want it, end of discussion. It should never be offered in lieu of care or social supports. If it is, it’s not compassion. It’s eugenics 🧵

Screenshot of a Dallas express article. There’s a man sitting in a hospital gown. Text reads

Man With Disabilities Begs Hospital To Stop
Pushing Suicide
LOGAN WASHBURN - STAFF WRITER
HEALTH & SCIENCE
MAY 29, 2025
Roger Foley | Image by Roger Foley @rogerfoley/X
Hospital staff have repeatedly pushed a Canadian man with disabilities to accept euthanasia. Now, he says, they are repeatedly asking him about suicide while cutting off basic needs like food and

Screenshot of a Dallas examiner article which reads Brother Of Disabled Man To Canadian
Hospital: He Is 'Dying In Front Of You'
LOGAN WASHBURN - STAFF WRITER
HEALTH & SCIENCE
JUN 11, 2025
Roger Foley | Image by Roger Foley @rogerfoley/X
The brother of a disabled Canadian man is pleading with his hospital - which pushed euthanasia and cut off food and water nearly one month ago - to stop him from "dying in front of you."
Instead of helping, The Dallas Express has learned, hospital officials told his brother to stop contacting them.

There’s a photo of a man laying in a hospital bed

652527779

Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them) @nmelzack.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

Why does my partner think going to get my nails done is 'self care'? It's loud and it smells and people are touching me and talking to me and it's just so overwhelming. Ick. Not self care. Just something that has to be done very rarely (sisters wedding on Saturday so needed to get something proper)

120

Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them) @nmelzack.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

Corrections accepted We are a Dr and we are graduating next month!!!!!

2211

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Adam Fare 🖤🤍💜 @adamfare1996.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

Paid employment isn’t a universal healthcare outcome. It might be a priority for some people… but it should never be prioritised over the person’s health and life. And for some, it shouldn’t even be considered.

1557

Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them) @nmelzack.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Having DID is so weird. Like we were a six year old doing drawings and then we drove a car as an adult. And we still have like a six year old inside us who is separate from me (the one writing this post) and it's actually like the actual way our brain works but it still makes like no sense. ♿

030

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Jeremy Corbyn @jeremycorbyn.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Millions of people are worried about paying their rent, feeding their kids or losing vital disability benefits. If the government cared about people's security, it would reverse cruel cuts, end child poverty and pursue an agenda for peace. Let's fund welfare, not warfare.

1193695829

Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them) @nmelzack.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

No one ever says sorry. No one ever wants to believe they are complicit in the suffering of others. It's all personal choice and stop living in fear...

033

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Those who treat disabled people the worst are often the first to ask us for help when they become chronically ill. They say some variation of “I had no idea it was this bad!” They almost never say “sorry”. They ask for our help without even admitting to how badly they treated us.

315126

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Shiv Ramdas Mens Rice Activist @nameshiv.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

this is literally fraud. You did not sign authors with the promise to pay their due if you made a profit, you committed to pay them for their work that they delivered and has sold. At the very least this publisher needs to be blacklisted, but hope there are also legal consequences somehow

8878259

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Adam Fare 🖤🤍💜 @adamfare1996.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

It is true that most people who claim PIP are unable to work. But that's because to be eligible for PIP you need to have significant health conditions that need a lot of care & support. So it's predictable most won't be able to work. But its still not an out-of-work benefit.

26012

Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them) @nmelzack.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

Went for a jog and no subluxations and we are like omg it's going to be okay. The exercises are working and we are getting our mobility back

Summary from Strava of our jog - 5.05km in 40:15 minutes

Selfie of Nicole looking sweaty chilling by a brick wall. They are in a grey running tank top and blue over ear headphones.

Photo of Nicole's legs on a stone bench. Nicole is wearing black leggings and black/pink running trainers.

Selfie of Nicole just after finishing the run. There are trees in the background. Nicole looks very warm and sweaty.

140

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Adam Fare 🖤🤍💜 @adamfare1996.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

I actually think many disabled people try harder and do more than an abled person does. Like… when I’m feeling bad I tend to go into overdrive. It’s a form of distraction plus my brain’s self-destruct mode.

2664

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Property rights would kill the industry. Does that tell you what the industry is, finally??

92161599

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Peter @notalawyer.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

the bit about Africans being active in the slave trade is telling. it’s something that is only relevant if you think the point of discussing slavery is to disburse racial blame rather than understanding history.

835781875

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

In the year of our lord two thousand twenty-five, guys named Tripp Mickle still write racialized nimble finger stereotypes into the pages of the New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/t...

What does China offer that the United States doesn't?
Small hands, a massive, seasonal work force and millions of engineers.
Young Chinese women have small fingers, and that has made them a valuable contributor to iPhone production because they are more nimble at installing screws and other miniature parts in the small device, supply chain experts said. In a recent analysis the company did to explore the feasibility of moving production to the United States, the company determined that it couldn't find people with those skills in the United States, said two people familiar with the analysis who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
China has millions of people who migrate around the country to work in factories as Apple revs up production around a new iPhone. They often work from the summer until Chinese New Year, when production slows down, so Apple's suppliers don't have to pay them for a full year of work. They live in dormitories connected to factories

2654164737

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

I sent another email

Julia Wong 1:34 PM
to Charlie, tripp.mickle v
Hi Charlie,
The Times's story does not in fact make clear what the source of the information about the supposed size and dexterity of young Chinese women's fingers are, which is why I had so many follow up questions. What kind of generalization is "Young Chinese women have small fingers" if not racial or genetic? Can we at least agree that it is a generalization about a physical trait (often genetic) related to a group identified by their sex and nationality? Can we not also agree that making such a claim about any demographic group should require some actual evidence? The inclusion of unsubstantiated race science in an article is an unfortunate error, but it is also easily amended. I would suggest that rather than attempting to scare up sources for a ridiculous, unfounded and blatantly racist claim, you consider simply correcting it.
Best,
Julia Wong

563653374

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

like I dunno maybe if you are going to state something weird and racial about half the population of a country of 1.4 billion people you should have… a (?) source ? ??

1483646556

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Harriet Cannon @harrietcannon.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

"Throughout the collection, coroners pointed to universities’ failure to act when a student went quiet. Whether it was a string of missed lectures, unanswered emails, or failure to submit coursework, many institutions saw disengagement as the student’s problem rather than a potential warning sign."

122

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

IndiaWilloughby @indiawilloughby.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

There are no trans MPs in the UK, and nobody trans is going to subject themselves to this kind of public humiliation and degradation. I’m told that TWO UNIONS SUPPORTED this shocking decision - one being the Public and Commercial Services Union. No surprise, given the head seems to be a terf.

1413815

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

A reminder that more people are employed in the yoga industry than there are registered fishers working in the UK.

481391321

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Adam Fare 🖤🤍💜 @adamfare1996.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Reminder for anyone in PIP assessments. They key words are: - Reliably - Repeatedly - Safely - More than half the days. - Support/prompting/assistance.

04711

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Dr Noor Bari @njbbari3.bsky.social · 18/05/2025

Erm…. (Post by @1goodtern.bsky.social )

And so, from the point at which Covid was allowed to totally run rampant, diseases of the respiratory system became a factor in an astonishing 30% or more of deaths.

Then a graph that shows the data doing that.

7356140

Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them) @nmelzack.bsky.social · 18/05/2025

Talk about dynamic disability. Walked 5k unaided yesterday Hip subluxated as I got out of bed this morning... So crutch it is today! Ouch #hEDS ♿

150

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

Pregnancy is considered a disability. Adriana Smith was a black, disabled woman in need of medical care. The hospital dismissed her & she died. Because she was 9 weeks pregnant, they’re keeping her body alive against the family’s wishes. Misogyny, ableism & discrimination harm in life and death

691613479

Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them) @nmelzack.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

Did parkrun this morning. Well Park walk But managed without our crutch and without any subluxations. Are we cured? Are the muscle stability exercises working?? But obviously can't do anything else today. So there's that. #disability #hEDS

0110

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

♾️Clear Autism♾️ @clearautism.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

I'm reminded of "underlying conditions" at the beginning of Covid. Like it was inevitable that people already sick or disabled would die, so what could we do?

052

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

BuDS Disability Service @buds-disability.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

If Kim Leadbeater’s Assisted Suicide Bill is passed, it will be a serious criminal offence to encourage someone to take their life by overdosing on medication, but perfectly legal to encourage someone to take their life by asking a doctor to give them an overdose of medication.

0104

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Ashton Pittman @ashtonpittman.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

He's a eugenicist.

442682

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Natacha @natacha.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

Guardian writers campaigned against puberty-blockers because they were prescribed "off label". Now the Guardian is celebrating Ozempic, a drug being used off label for obesity. The difference...? Puberty-blockers have been used for trans kids for 30+ years, Ozempic for obesity only for 4 years.

Gamechanger for more than just obesity
First developed to help lower blood sugar levels as a diabetes treatment, it was quickly apparent that Novo Nordisk’s drug semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy jabs) has a dramatic effect on weight. The drug works by mimicking a hormone, GLP-1, which is released in the gut when we eat and acts on receptors around the body, including the brain.

18971287

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Katy Montgomerie 🦗 @katymontgomerie.com · 17/05/2025

Wes Streeting is suppressing the publication of a report that would show that what he's doing to trans kids has increased the suicide rate Scandal upon scandal

8824268

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Frances Ryan @francesryan.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

New: Rachel Reeves’ own constituency Labour party will call for the chancellor to abandon her plans to cut disability benefits. The embarrassment comes as rebellion among MPs over the policy grows. My @theguardian.com story: www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

theguardian.com

Rachel Reeves faces anger from her own constituency over plans to cut disability benefits

Labour members from Leeds West and Pudsey to write letter to chancellor over proposed plans to reduce Pip payments

1322776

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

People need to believe there’s a robust safety net for people with disabilities for the same reason they need to believe they will never become disabled… they’re scared. They can’t face the reality of how quickly you can lose your health, and how little support is there when you do.

16518159

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

mimij9.bsky.social @mimij9.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

Keir Starmer took only one news outlet with him to Albania? GB News!!! Here that 👂 That sound is Labour voters marching to the Lib Dem’s and Greens. What’s that? Silence? That’s no Reform UK voters marching toward Labour

71944249

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Robin Moira White @robinmoirawhite.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

‘Comment of the day’ award goes to the Good Law Project. And some folk will tell you the the Supreme Court ruling brought CLARITY?🤔

1133080

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Anna Landre @annalandre.com · 14/05/2025

The assisted dying lobby isn’t being honest with you – Disabled people are at risk from this bill. Brilliant piece in the @theguardian.com from @lucywebster.bsky.social. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A photo of disabled protesters with anti assisted dying signs and article text below reads: You’ve been deceived by the campaign for assisted dying. It has told you who the proposed law is for: people on their metaphorical
deathbeds, no hope in sight, desperate to spare themselves and their loved ones the experience of an agonising death. And no wonder - these cases obviously merit sympathy and concern. These are the people campaigners want to talk about; this is the narrative that pushes people into unquestioning support for their cause.
But what of the people the law would include who they don't want you to consider?
Proponents keep saying that the bill is tightly drawn to exclude disabled people, because it limits eligibility to those with only six months to live. But this is patently false. The line between disability and illness - a line this bill relies on - is not a sharp distinction. It is

13014

Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them) @nmelzack.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

We have been working on a team project in therapy for months. And it's finished. Can't even tell you what this teamwork represents for us #dissociativeidentitydisorder #DID #disability #therapy ♿

A photo of a small ceramic vase which has been broken and decorated with different patterns and put back together in a kinstugi style.

A photo of a small ceramic vase which has been broken and decorated with different patterns and put back together in a kinstugi style. This photo highlights a pink flower drawn by Kay.

020

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

FunkisHen @funkishen.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

When you're severely ill, your suicidal thoughts are seen as completely reasonable, and are called nice things like "assisted dying" by healthy people while completely brushing over the fact we never got assistance to live, or even survive. Never say you didn't know. #PwME #SevereME #NEISvoid

1167

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Hope people who bought into Fauci and Walensky’s “only the sick and disabled will die from covid, so it’s not a problem anymore” campaign understand how y’all materially helped bring us here:

930095

Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them) @nmelzack.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Getting our second round of Botox for migraine later today. The first round was an absolute game changer. We've had so many headache free days it's unreal. Forgot what life was like before the constant headache. Highly recommend. Sucks that I have to pay for it #disability #migraine #chronicillness

260

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Adam Fare 🖤🤍💜 @adamfare1996.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Every time the Government legitimises hate and/or oppression, it gives a green light for the far-right to go even further. It’s literally the worst thing you can do to combat them.

1688

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Emily Goss @barrowmember.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

"The RCP outlined a number of issues...including: the bill not making provision for unmet needs, whether assisted suicide is classed as a treatment or not, what the psychiatrists' specific role on the panel would be, & the increased demand the bill puts on psychiatrists" news.sky.com/story/royal-...

news.sky.com

Royal College of Psychiatrists pulls support for assisted dying bill

The announcement from the Royal College of Psychiatrists is a blow to supporters of the bill because under an amendment, a psychiatrist would be on the expert panel to assess assisted dying cases.

093

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Adam Fare 🖤🤍💜 @adamfare1996.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Care workers are not “low skilled” Cleaners are not “low skilled” Low wage does not mean low skill. It just means under-valued by society.

320251

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Even without the echoes of Powell, "island of strangers" is so offensive when you think about it for ten minutes. I know Labour has never been a liberal party, but FFS.

511314

Reposted by Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them)

Tom Pollard @pollardtom.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

New DWP research gives a clearer picture of why PIP claims have been rising than government & media rhetoric about the need for cuts People with complex poor health, driven in part by financial hardship to seek additional support to meet their basic costs www.gov.uk/government/p...

Findings:
-Most people cited multiple health conditions, often a combination of mental and physical conditions.
-People were recently made aware of PIP through contact with formal services (including Jobcentre Plus) friends and family. Few participants mentioned media or social media.
-Health deterioration, financial hardship and employment concerns were the main triggers for PIP application. Few participants mentioned the loss of the £20 UC uplift or the ending of the furlough scheme.
-People cited travel, daily living, utilities and household costs as their intended uses for PIP.

36839

Dr Nicole Melzack (they/them) @nmelzack.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

There is nothing inherently bad about migration. And when we went and colonised and terrorised a million countries over the last centuries it's actually fine if people want to come here and um... Live in the wealth their ancestors and relatives created for us...

150